


Earth Lore 101

by hulklinging



Category: Runaways (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Demons, Demon Summoning, M/M, Other, earth culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 15:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7849945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hulklinging/pseuds/hulklinging
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's such a thing as being too into Earth culture.</p><p>Actually summoning a demon probably falls into that category.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Earth Lore 101

**Author's Note:**

> There was a post about aliens getting into earth culture and ouija boards and summoning demons... and I immediately thought yes I need to write that. Then it sat around partially written for almost a year, until my internet went out last night and I finally finished it. So... here it is? Hope you like? Thanks for reading.

If he lives through this, he's going to be so embarrassed.

Not because he lived, that's not what he means. When he gets out of this he's just going to spend a long time sitting somewhere private and reaming himself out, because he's done stupid shit before, but this...

"This is bad!"

A huge understatement, really. But in his moment of stress, his english vocabulary shrinks to almost zero, and not all of his current companions speak Skrull.

Karolina is already in the air, staring in disbelief at the circle they'd drawn on Noh Varr's ship's floor.

"This can't be happening," she gasps. "There's no way."

Xavin is on their knees, scrubbing at the lines on the floor, which are smearing across the floor but the centre is still glowing, a bright blue that is almost painful to look at.

"Xavin, that's not helping, get ba-"

The light jumps up from the circle, holding shape for a moment, and then it explodes. Something shatters, Karolina screams, and Teddy is thrown back, his back colliding with a wall with a 'crack' that he hopes is fixable. Sorry, Noh Varr.

Someone groans, and Teddy's still blinking stars from his vision when an unfamiliar voice speaks.

"Oh, what have you done?"

There's a rustling to his left, and he hears Karolina's soft, strained tone.

"Xavin, babe, are you alright? Xavin?"

A groan that sounds more frustrated than hurt. That's a good sign.

"Am I in space? Did you summon me _in space?"_

Teddy pushes himself to his feet mostly out of instinct than any particular will to be standing. Upright, the world is even more disorienting. Noh Varr is hiding in the doorway, it looks like. With his speed, he'd have completely missed the blast. Really, it should be _him_ walking towards the glowy thing. Not Teddy.

Then again, Teddy just helped wreck Noh's ship. Maybe this is only fair.

"Hello?" Teddy tries in English, because that's what the figure appears to be speaking. "Yes, you're in space. We're sorry. We... we didn't really think that would work."

The figure flies at him, and Teddy throws up his arms, prepped for a blow, but nothing falls. The glowy figure is starting to be a little less glowy, and Teddy thinks he can almost see something solid underneath the bright blue light, now. It's stopped just shy of Teddy, still inside the summoning circle they created.

"Well, it did work! And now I'm in a spaceship with a bunch of aliens! So you'd better find a way to fix this!"

It doesn't sound much like a demon, if Teddy's being honest with himself. It sounds... pretty normal. Like any of his friends, annoyed with something he's suggested.

Now that no one is about to die, the pure wonder at the fact that they'd actually managed to summon something is starting to dawn on him as well. It's a crazy thought, that some lines on the floor and the position of the Earth could lead to... this.

Xavin and him had met through training, both of them grabbing onto their shared class regarding Earth with enough interest to put them here, on the outpost closest to the primitive but formidable planet. Karolina is Xavin's betrothed, one of those rare arranged marriages that might just leave all involved parties happy, and Noh Varr is one of Teddy's personal ambassadors from the Kree Empire, sent here to make sure that Teddy is being taught about his secondary heritage as well.

Of course, all positions and roles aside, they're just four adolescents who are a little obsessed with the culture of the planet below them. It started with movies and books, a way to learn more about Earth, and also an excuse to spend time in Noh Varr's personal ship, where Teddy can just be 'Teddy' and his friends can relax around their prince. Everywhere else in the galaxy he is Dorrek, the Halfling Prince, the Twice-Royal. The Hope of the Universe. That's all fine and great, but it's also exhausting. Teddy picked a human name pretty early on in this arrangement, and it serves its purpose as a way to put distance between who he's supposed to be and who he can be when only around his closest friends.

Xavin's face still pinched a little whenever they had to say it, but that's okay.

So yes, the Earth obsession started with just the movies and the books. And then it was whatever they could get their hands on. It was exploring the human's Wide Web, discussing the intricacies of their culture and lore alongside the political climate and rudimentary sciences they were supposed to be learning.

The lore is vast and varied, and they learned with delight that when combined with the human's popular media, it got very interesting indeed.

Of course, reading about summoning demons is one thing. Actually summoning a human demon is another.

"We are... very sorry." Apologizing seems like a good start. He can see Noh Varr has emerged from behind the doorway, and Xavin is back on their feet. None have ventured as close as he has, though. "We'll do our best to return you promptly."

There's a noise which sounds suspiciously like a hmph of frustration, and the glow lessens still. Enough that Teddy can get a glimpse of this demon for the first time.

It looks... quite human. Almost disappointingly so. Smaller than any of them, delicate features. Eyes that still glow blue, and nails that look more like claws. Teddy sees no sign of the tails they'd read about, or of wings or horns. Aside from the glowing aura and the claws, this could be a human teen in front of him.

A rather handsome human teen.

Teddy must imagine the Look Noh Varr sends him. Surely even the Kree boy knows that it is not the time to tease Teddy for his... unfortunate fascination with human men. He's sure that as soon as they manage to banish this demon him and Karolina will be all over him with jokes about this demon boy's sharp cheekbones and handsome frame.

Teddy takes a step forward, hands up in what he hopes is a calming gesture. Reports on demon's powers have varied greatly, and he doesn't want to make any mistakes.

"Stop right there!" The demon commands, and Teddy freezes. The demon's eyes narrow, and then he takes a quick step backwards. "Wait, are you bleeding?"

Teddy might have hit the wall harder than he thought. He raises a hand to his forehead and it comes away bloody. Nothing his healing factor won't have trouble with, but probably a little gruesome looking on his Kree-like frame.

"I'm fine," he assures the demon, which is a weird thing to do, probably. There's what sounds like a snort of laughter from somewhere in Karolina and Xavin's direction. Some friends they all are.

"It's not that, it's-" a drop of blood falls from his finger to the floor, and the demon hisses as the blood falls perfectly onto one of their carefully drawn lines. It smokes as soon as it makes contact, and Teddy takes his eyes off the demon for a moment just to stare.

"Now you've done it!" spits the demon. "Now we're bound together. Look what you've done! I'll never make it home!"

It's weird to think of a demon having a home. Teddy supposes they have to get summoned from somewhere.

"Bound together?" he dares to ask.

"Yes!" The demon is pacing. Teddy stares, enchanted by how his body moves. "There aren't many ways to break a demon bond, even on Earth, and we're not even on Earth!" He looks back up at Teddy and falters. Teddy must be imagining how his eyes track the planes of Teddy's body. That must just be wishful thinking. "I don't have the slightest idea of where to start up here."

Teddy sticks out a hand, mimicking a gesture he learned in his first Earth classroom. "My name is... Teddy. You're on a small spaceship that is docked at the Skrull base on your moon."

The demon is definitely staring now. After a moment, he takes Teddy's hand in his own clawed one, shakes it. "You can call me William."

Names have power, in a lot of Earth lore. He's suddenly glad none of them go by their full names.

After the others introduce themselves, Teddy addresses William the demon once more.

"We'll get you back home as soon as is possible, and break whatever bond we've imposed on you. You have my word."

The demon shakes his head, and his clawed hand comes up. When he does move, it's too fast for Teddy to properly track. He could have ripped Teddy's throat clean out, but instead it's just the lightest kiss of those claws to Teddy's exposed neck.

"Now I have your word," he murmurs, and there is indeed a glowing bit of green in between his fingers now where there wasn't one. "You'll have to prove to me that it's worth anything, alien."

"I will," Teddy assures him. Another promise. The demon seems to notice the hidden power behind those two little words, because he gives Teddy an appraising look. Like he is being judged and the demon is not disappointed.

"Nothing can be done about it for at least a month," he tells them. That means a month of hiding his new companion, or of coming up with a very convincing lie. Teddy wonders at what power he wields. Powers of obscuring one's shape would be helpful, and they'd read it was possible. Or even just power in his speech. A power of convincing.

"Is there anything we can do for you in the meantime?"

The sharpness in the demon's gaze has lessened, maybe since he's been told the situation and understands that they don't pose any threat to him. Now in its place is excitement, a childish sort that Teddy finds absolutely captivating.

"Show me space."

Whether it's some power over words or just the connection Teddy feels to the demon, made real by blood or this strange (mutual?) attraction, Teddy's not sure. But he feels like he'd give this creature everything, if he thinks to ask.

"We can do that," he says, and Noh Varr grins as he heads to the bridge. Karolina and Xavin have picked up on the feeling of accomplishment by now, too. And they'd all just finished their most recent training rotation, hence the celebratory demon summoning. That means they have at least two weeks where they are technically on leave.

A road trip, of sorts. Through the stars, with a ragtag group of friends. It's just like they're living their very own Earth movie. Teddy watches the wonder grow in William's eyes as he leads him to a window, and thinks this might be one of his favourites yet.


End file.
